1. Field
The invention pertains to devices for establishing and maintaining tension in a tie rope, cord, or cable, and, more particularly, to such devices which utilize a winch or rotating reel to remove slack and develop tension in the tie rope, cord, or cable.
2. State of the Art
Winches and windlasses have long been used in hauling and raising objects. Motor driven winches are well known in various applications where a heavy object is to be moved or raised. Hand-operated winches are commonly used for pulling and moving articles. Hand-operated winches are used extensively for pulling items such as boats, snowmobiles, etc., onto trailers. Hand operated winches have also been suggested for use as clothesline tighteners (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,456,115 and 2,626,763).
If a winch is to maintain tension in the rope, cord, or cable attached thereto, a constant force must be applied to the reel upon which the rope, cord, or cable is wound, to prevent the reel from unwinding due to the moment, or torque, exerted on the reel by the tension in the rope, cord, or cable. Heretofore, winches have been provided with ratchets or other braking mechanisms to prevent the undesired unwinding movement of the reel. The present invention provides a simplified winch-type device which is self-locking and does not require the ratchets or other braking mechanisms used in the prior art.